A daylight rip-and-run theft in San Francisco's upscale Pacific Heights neighborhood set off a chain of mayhem and destruction that ended just over a mile away with a traffic collision that injured four people, including an 11-year old boy at a playground, authorities said Thursday.

The incident began about 5 p.m. Wednesday when a man grabbed an iPad from a woman's hands as she sat on a bench in front of the Peet's Coffee shop at Fillmore and Sacramento streets, police said.

As witnesses dialed 911, the thief jumped into a waiting silver Mercedes sport utility vehicle and sped off with two accomplices, police said. With officers in pursuit, the SUV struck a motorcyclist and a TV news van before a brutal crash with a Mazda minivan at Buchanan and Hayes streets, police said.

The boy, struck by flying debris, suffered only a minor injury and was not admitted to the hospital, officials said. But three other people - two suspects in the robbery and the driver of the minivan hit by their getaway car - were treated at San Francisco General Hospital, where all had been released by Thursday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Police arrested three people fleeing the damaged getaway vehicle, including the driver, who they suspect was drunk.

"Obviously these people had absolutely no regard for public safety," said Officer Albie Esparza, a police spokesman.

Besides being arrested for felony drunken driving, Milton Thomas, 31, of San Francisco, was also booked into jail on suspicion of robbery, conspiracy, receiving stolen property and two counts of evading police - all felonies - as well as a host of misdemeanors, including driving on a suspended or revoked license.

He and his alleged accomplice, Ellis Buckley, 23, of San Francisco, are both on probation. Buckley was booked for the same robbery-related felonies as well as several misdemeanor counts of giving false information to police, resisting arrest and possession of burglary tools.

Authorities said the third person is a 17-year-old boy from Fairfax whose name was not released. The youth was booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of robbery-related counts, police said.

The chaotic string of events marked the latest incident in what police say is a rise in robberies and muggings involving high-priced smart phones, tablet computers and other personal electronics. Investigators are exploring possible links to other robberies, police said.

"It's a chronic, chronic problem," police Capt. Ann Mannix said. "There is such a high resale value for iPads and iPhones - criminals are taking them left and right. And recently they're not just taking them, but they're assaulting people severely."

Witnesses said officers were in close pursuit as the Mercedes barreled into the intersection of Hayes and Buchanan, where it broadsided the Mazda minivan before slamming into a parked white sedan.

The collision occurred in front of the Hayes Valley Playground, and the badly damaged Mazda ended up on the sidewalk in front of the playground.

Police initially said the driver of the Mazda minivan had life-threatening injuries, but she was released from the hospital in good condition Thursday after an overnight stay in the emergency department, a hospital spokeswoman said.